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17 November 2011

Home Computer Setup Details

I recently had to set up a new computer for my wife Alison. Whilst the set up of the iMac was fairly easy to do, I needed access to all the various usernames and passwords to set up email accounts and log-ins for our main websites and blogs.

Unfortunately her old PC had died a few weeks before, we had back ups of all the data files, but all the email address details etc were on bits of paper and in my head!

So I decided to solve this problem with some pages in my A5 Filofax, and below are the results of a mornings work.

Whilst you might not understand all the terminology, don't worry about that because if you are giving these details to a technician or servicing person, they will be very pleased with the level of detail you have recorded on these sheets and it will be quicker for them to set up your new machine or to fix a problem. Or ask them to fill in the details for you, so you have a separate record of the settings.

I also have a sheet for recording log-ins for various websites... and remember to change your passwords every so often and to use a mix of characters.

Because webs sites often require 2 passwords, even a security key, my pages have 4 lines for each set of details; and as pointed out, space is required for password changes. My fax “code” pages are therefore basically just contact address sheets without all the name, address, tel number titles.

However, a general problem about passwords, emphasised by the fact that many passwords will be written down on paper that can be easily “lost” or seen by wandering eyes, I never write down the actual password but instead note down which of 3 standard passwords will form the basis of a particular website’s password and then give a clue as to extra character(s) to make a unique password that only I would be able to calculate from the clue. Unless someone were to know my 3 standard passwords, even from reading my fax page they would not know what any password is.

Simplistic example: If the first of my never written down standard passwords was “Anthony” I might use the password “AnthonyB” for a particular website registration, recording this in the fax as “1st main password; with addition of 1st letter from surname of man who started unnecessary wars”. (B is of course for Bismarck, who can’t be libelled, but how many thought it stood for a certain “fLying Scotsman”!).

@ Lost Without You, there are some medical pages on DIY planner and Vertex 42 sites. Diabetes trackers, blood pressure tracker etc. May not apply to your needs though, but thought I'd mention them. You may be able to adapt some of the charts to your needs.